Has someone messaged you about getting paid for micro-tasks — such as liking photographs or rating product images? You may be the intended victim of a type of job scam that the Federal Trade Commission says is sweeping the country. Is your micro-task a scam or legit? Here’s how to tell.
Scam or legit
According to new FTC data, micro “task scams” have quadrupled in just the first few months of 2024, with some 20,000 reported incidents. These cons now account for nearly 40% of the agency’s job scam reports. And they are largely responsible to a huge rise in consumer losses, totaling $220 million in just the first half of 2024.
Unfortunately for side hustlers, these micro task scams often appear nearly identical to legitimate opportunities offered by a host of online platforms, such as MechanicalTurk and ClickWorker.
Most of these micro-tasks don’t pay close to minimum wage. But some consumers like them because they’re easy. And there’s nothing stopping you from doing them while you’re watching t.v..
Another thing that makes these scams seem legit? The scammers sometimes provide small payments for jobs to convince consumers that the opportunity is real.
Red flags
So, how would you know whether your micro-task is a scam or legit? It starts with how you found the gig. The FTC says the scammers typically approach you via text or WhatsApp messages.
Real gig companies don’t do that. They have websites and apps that you can download on legitimate sites like Apple and Google Play. If the company you’re talking to is asking you to work directly with them — or download something directly from them — be skeptical.
You pay them
Additionally, at some point, the scammer will ask you to deposit your own money — often in untraceable cryptocurrency — to get a bigger reward. If you do that, your money is lost, the FTC says.
It’s worth noting that some legitimate “get paid to play” apps, such as CashGiraffe, Bubble Cash and Bingo Cash also encourage you to buy products in order to earn higher rewards playing their games. However, the purchases are made via credit card, not crypto. (And, SideHusl.com does not recommend any of these sites for a wide array of reasons that you can read about in our reviews, linked above.)
Legit small-effort, small-pay options
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